Feed roll mechanism



March 14, 1939 V A. F HSCHER 2,150,824

FEED ROLL MECHANISM way. 3. @zgd. fl/ J I g rvuQ/MO'T/ 46 9 1 14/?71/04 0 f/Zsw/z/r,

March 14, 1939.

A. F, FISCHER FEED ROLL MECHANISM Filed April 8, 1938 @246.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 chi-WW Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FEED ROLL MECHANISM York Application April 8,

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a wire feed mechanism designed primarily for use in connection with machines for forming and driving wire staples, but it is to be understood that a feed ,3 mechanism, in accordance with this invention is for employment in any connection for which it may be found applicable.

The invention has for its object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth a wire feed lo mechanism including a pair of rotatable roll structures having coacting gripping means for intermittently feeding successive lengths of the wire to be acted upon and with one of said means being slidable relative to the other and 15 resiliently supported.

The invention has for another of its objects to provide a resilient support for the slidable gripping means aforesaid, and with said support being so formed and disposed in such relation 20 to said means to prevent the discarding of the latter if the support becomes impaired and a new one substituted.

The invention has for another of its objects to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth 25 a wire feed mechanism including a pair of. oppositely revoluble wire feed roll structures, each including a wire gripping means coacting with each other for intermittently feeding successive lengths of the wire to be acted upon, one of said 3;) means being spring controlled, bodily revoluble with and intermittently shiftable parallel to the axis of the roll structure with which it is associated during the revolving of such structure, and the other of said means being bodily revolving with and fixed stationary to that structure with which it is associated.

The invention has for another of its objects to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a wire feed mechanism including a pair of oppositely revoluble Wire feed roll structures for intermittently feeding successive lengths of the wire to be acted upon, and with one of said structures capable of being adjusted independent of the other for varying the extent of the intermittent 3 feed.

The invention has for another of its objects to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a wire feed mechanism for detachable connection to a machine of the type referred to and including a pair of oppositely revoluble wire feed roll structures, intermeshing driven gears fixed to said structures and a combined portable carrier and support for, common to and to which said structures are connected whereby the said 55 mechanism may be bodily detached from the 1938, Serial No. 201,017

machine and expeditiously connected to another machine when desired.

The invention has for another of its objects to provide, in a wire feed mechanism, a pair of oppositely revoluble wire feed roll structures, one 5 having fixed thereto a wire gripping means having a working surface in the form of a segment of a circle, and the other having slidingly connected thereon a resiliently supported hollow gripping means having a working surface in the form of a segment of a circle, said surfaces intermittently coacting during each revolution of said structures for intermittently feeding successively lengths of the wire to be acted upon.

The invention has for a further object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a wire feed mechanism including a pair of oppositely revoluble wire feed roll structures for intermittently feeding successive lengths of wire to be acted upon and whereby one of said structures may be expeditiously adjusted relative to the other for varying the extent of the feed.

Further objects of the invention are to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a wire feed mechanism which is comparatively simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, compact, expeditiously installed with respect to the machine with which it is to be associated, readily bodily removed from the machine when desired, thoroughly efficient in its use, conveniently repaired when occasion requires, and comparatively inexpensive to set up.

Embodying the foregoing aims and to others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the mechanism installed,

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1,

Figures 3, 4 and.5 are front elevations respectively of the head, resilient supports for the gripping means and retainer of the non-adjustable wire feed roll structure,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section on line 6-8, Figure 2,

Figures '7 and 8 are respectively sections on lines 1-1 and 8-8, Figure 6, and

Figure 9 is an elevation of the driving means for the mechanism.

With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 9 therein is shown by way of example a chamber |5 formed in a portion N5 of a supporting structure |1 constituting a part of the machine with which the wirefeed mechanism, in accordance with this invention is to be associated. The chamber I5 is open at its front. The portion N5 of structure |1 may be similar to a part of the structure l3 of my copending application filed April 2, 1938, Serial No. 199,701, and is so shown. The rear or back wall of chamber I5 is indicated at|8 and it is provided with a pair of spaced horizontally aligned openings I9, 29. The wall I 8 has integral therewith forwardly and readwardly directed collars 2|, 22 respectively having their inner faces flush with the walls of the said openings. Mounted in the openings I9, 20 are bearing bushings 23, 24 respectively which are also arranged within and flush with the free ends of the said collars. The operating shaft of the machine, with which the feed mechanism is associated is indicated 25 and extends into one end of the chamber l5.

That end of shaft 25 positioned within the chamber I5 carries a gear 26 which meshes with and drives a gear 21 suspended from the wall l8 of chamber l5 and which is of less diameter than the gear 26. The gear 26 is to operate in an anticlockwise direction and the gear 21 in a clockwise direction. The purpose of the gear 21 will be presently referred to. The wire feed mechanism, generally indicated at 28 is to be detachably connected to the structure H at the front of chamber I5. The mechanism 28 includes a one piece support 29 which, by way of example, forms a closure for the major portion of the open front of chamber |5 as is shown in my co-pending application aforesaid. The support 29 provides a carrier for the other parts of such mechanism and is provided with an oval shaped recess 30 in its front face. The base or inner wall of the recess 30 is indicated at 3| and it is formed with a pair of horizontally aligned openings 32, 33 arranged in spaced relation. The rear face of wall 3| has integral therewith rearwardly extending bosses 34, 35 having their inner faces forming rearward continuations of the walls of the openings 32, 33 respectively. Mounted in the openings 32, 33 are bearing bushings 36, 38 respectively. The bushings 23, 24 align with the bushings 36, 31 respectively.

Mounted in the bushings 23, 36 and extending into the recess 39 is a shaft 38. Mounted in the bushings 24, 31 and extending through the recess 30 is a shaft 39. Fixed to the shafts 38, 39 are intermeshing gears 40, 4| which abut the collars 2| and have forwardly extending hubs 42 fixed to the shafts 38, 39 by the pins 43. The forward ends of the hubs 42 are spaced rearwardly from the bosses 34, 35.

The mechanism includes a pair of revoluble feed roll structures 44, 45 operated by the shafts 38,.39 respectively. The structure 44 is non-adjustable. The structure 45 is adjustable.

The outer end of shaft 38 has formed integral therewith a circular head 46 positioned against the outer face of the wall 3| and of greater diameter than openingv 32. The head 46 is formed of an inner circular part 41 and an outer circular part 46 of less diameter than and concentrically disposed with respect to the part 41. The outer or front face of part 41 is provided with an annular'groove 49 which surrounds the point of mergence between the parts", 48. The head 46 axially thereof is formed with a threaded socket 59 opening at the front of part. The part 48 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed sockets 5| spaced adjacent to opposite sides of the mouth of the socket 59.

The feed roll structure 44 includes the head 46, a shiftable carrier 52 for a wire gripper or cam 53, a resilient support or tensioning element 5.4 for carrier 52, a retainer 55 for the carrier 53, positioning dowels 56 for the retainer 55 and a coupling screw 51 for detachably connecting the head 46 and retainer 55 together. The gripper 53 is an integral part of the carrier 52 and bodily moves therewith. The carrier 52 is spring urged by the element 54. Owing to the manner in which carrier 52, gripper 53 and element 54 are correlated and their arrangement with respect to the head 46, the gripper 53 is not only spring urged, but it is also slidably arranged relative to the head 46.

The carrier 52 is substantially of rectangular contour and formed with a circular opening 51 of materially greater diameter than the head'part 48. The carrier 52 has its lengthwise or side edges straight and one of its end edges throughout, of a contour corresponding to a segment of a circle and which provides the wire gripper or cam 53. The other end edge 58 of carrier 52 is straight and merges into the rounded corners 59. The length of the carrier 52 is greater than the diameter of and has its ends permanently disposed in extended relation with respect to head 46. The carrier 52 is arranged diametrically of head 46 and positioned against and is slida'ble relative to the front face of head part 41. The head part 48 is arranged in the opening 51 and flush with the front of carrier 52. The resilient support or tensioning element 54 for the carrier 52 is in the form of a split resilient ring 69 of an outer diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of and having its outer face permanently bearing against the wall of opening 51. The ring 60 seats in the groove 49 and its body is of a width to extend from the base of thegroove 49 to the front face of carrier 52. The ring 60 normally tends to hold the carrier 52 in the position shown in Figure 6 and acts as a resilient abutment for the gripper or cam 53 when the latter is active.

The retainer 55 comprises a circular body part 6| formed axially thereof with a countersunk opening 62. Integral with the body part 6| is a pair of diametrically opposed inwardly extending spaced flanges or confiners 63 having straight inner edges 64 and outer edges 65 of arcuate contour. The carrier 52 is confined between the inner edges 64 of the flanges 63. Secured to the said body part 6| and extending inwardly therefrom are the positioning dowels 56 which engage in the sockets 5|. The coupling screw 51 extends through and has its head countersunk in the opening 62. The screw 51 has threaded engagement with the wall of socket 50 and acts to connect head 46 and retainer 55 together whereby the carrier 52 is held on head part 48. a

The shaft 39 inwardly adjacent to its outer end has formed integral therewith a laterallyextending flat annular flange 65 which constitutes an inner clamping member. That part of shaft 39 extended outwardly from flange 65 is indicated at 66 and consists of an inner smooth portion 61 and a peripherally threaded outer portion 68 of less diameter than the portion'61. The flange 65 is arranged against the front face of wall 3|.

The feed roll structure 45 includes the flange 65*, shaft part 66, an adjustable carrier 69 for a wire gripper or cam 10, a washer H and a lock nut 12. The carrier 69 is positioned on the portion 61 of shaft part 66 and against the front face of flange 65*. The washer 1 I is arranged on shaft portion 68 against the shoulder 13 formed at the junction of shaft portions 61, 68. The carrier 69 is flush with shoulder 13. The washer H bears against the front face of carrier 69. The lock nut 12 threadedly engages with shaft portion 68 and binds against the washer H. The carrier 69 is capable of being shifted about the shaft portion 61 to adjust the gripper or cam 10 relative to gripper or cam 53 for a purpose to be referred to. The loosening of nut 12 will permit of shifting the carrier 69 about shaft portion 61. After carrier 69 has been shifted to the desired extent, the nut "I2 is screwed home and in connection with flange 55 will clamp carrier 69. to shaft 39 whereby the latter and the carrier will bodily revolve when shaft 39 is driven.

The carrier 69 consists of a circular body part 14 of greater diameter than flange (i having an axial opening 15 to enable for the mounting thereof on the shaft portion 61 against flange 55 The body part 14, on a chord line adjacent said opening 15 is formed with a groove 16 having its ends and mouth opening at the edge thereof. The base or inner Wall of groove 16 is straight.

The gripper or cam Ill consists of a substantially segmental shaped member l6 which is seated in and is of less length but of greater width than the depth of groove 16. The ends of member Hi are spaced inwardly adjacent opposed edge parts of body part 14- of carrier 69. The ends of member I6 extend outwardly from the edge part of said body part 14 which is arranged between the said opposed edge parts of the latter. The inner lengthwise edge of the member 16 is straight and seats against the inner wall of groove '36. The outer lengthwise edge of member I6 is upon the segment of a circle and constitutes a gripping surface for the wire. The member 16 is fixedly secured to the carrier 69 by the holdfast means Tl. The gripping surface of the member I6 is permanently disposed in outwardly extended relation with respect to carrier 69.

The gear 21 meshes with and on the operation of shaft 25 drives the gear 4| in an anti-clockwise direction and which in turn drives the gear 4!! in a clockwise direction, the result being the revolving of the wire feed roll structures 44, 45 in opposite directions. The structure 44 clockwise and the structure 45 anti-clockwise. On the operation of the structures 44, 45 the grippers 53, will coact to bite or grip the wire 18, which is positioned between said structures and intermittently feed successive lengths of the wire to be acted upon. The adjusting of the gripper ID with respect to the gripper 53 is for varying the period of duration of the grip or bite had on the wire 18 by the grippers when intermittently feeding the wire whereby the length of that portion of the wire which is fed by the mechanism may be Varied. The grippers coact to feed the wire during a part of each revolution of the structures 44, 45.

The carrier 69 is provided with suitable indicia 19 for indicating adjustments of the gripper 10 when the length of the portion of the wire to be fed is to be varied. The support 29 has attached thereto a pointer 80 for association with the indicia 19.

With reference to Figure 1 there is shown a guide means 8| for the wire 18 and a conducting off means 82 for the successive lengths of the wire which are fed by the mechanism. The said means BI, 82 preferably will be constructed and arranged relative to the structures 45, 46 in the same manner as the wire guide and wire conducting off means are shown in my co-pending application aforesaid.

What I claim is:

1. In a wire feed mechanism, a pair of oppositely revoluble wire feed roll structures, one including a tensioned carrier slidingly mounted therein diametrically thereof, said carrier being provided at one end with a wire gripper, the other of said structures including a non-tensioned, non-slidable, adjustable carrier having fixed thereto a wire gripper, said grippers being disposed in extended relation-with respect to the outer periphery of said roll structures for coaction to intermittently feed during the revolving of said structures, successive lengths of wire to be acted upon.

2. In a wire feed mechanism, a pair of oppositely revoluble wire feed roll structures, one including a tensioned slidable carrier provided with a wire gripper, the other including a non-tensioned non-slidable carrier having fixed thereto a wire gripper, said grippers being disposed in extended relation with respect to the outer periphery of said roll structures for coaction to intermittently feed during the revolving of said structures, successive lengths of wire to be acted upon, said non-tensioned carrier being adjustable for adjusting the gripper carried thereby relative to the other gripper for varying the period of duration of the grip of the grippers on the wire whereby the length of that portion of the wire which is fed by the mechanism may be varied, and that roll structure including the non-tensioned carrier being provided with means for detachably clamping the latter in its adjusted position.

3. In a wire feed mechanism, a pair of oppositely revoluble wire feed roll structures, one including a tensioned slidable carrier provided with a wire gripper, the other including a nontensioned non-slidable carrier having fixed thereto a wire gripper, said grippers being disposed in extended relation with respect to the outer periphery of said roll structures for coaction to intermittently feed during the revolving of said structures, successive lengths of wire to be acted upon, the said tensioned carrier being in the form of a rectangular body provided with an opening intermediate its ends for receiving the tensioning therefor and having one of its end edges in the form of a segment of a circle to provide the gripper carried thereby.

4. In a wire feed mechanism, a pair of oppositely revoluble wire feed roll structures, one including a tensioned slidable carrier provided with a wire gripper, the other including a non-tensioned non-slidable carrier having fixed thereto a wire gripper, said grippers being disposed in extended relation with respect to the outer periphery of said roll structures for coaction to intermittently feed during the revolving of said structures, successive lengths of wire to be acted upon, the said non-tensioned carrier being in the form of an axially apertured circular body provided on a chord line thereof adjacent its aperture with a groove having its ends and mouth opening at the edge of said body. and the gripper carried by said body being arranged within said groove and extended beyond the edge of said body.

5. In a wire feed mechanism of that type including a pair of revoluble feed roll structures coacting to intermittently feed successive lengths of wire to be acted upon, the combination of a revoluble shaft having its forward end provided with a circular head formed of an inner part and an outer part, said outer part being of less diameter than and disposed in concentric relation with respect to said inner part, said head being formed axially thereof with a threaded socket opening at the front of said outer part, said inner part having its front formed with an annular groove surrounding the base of the outer part, a rectangular carrier formed with an opening intermediate its ends and a gripper at one end, said carrier encompassing in spaced relation said outer part, a tensioning ring of split-like form seated in said groove, encompassing said outer part in spaced relation and bearing against the wall of said opening, a holder positioned against the front of said outer part and formed with spaced retainers positioned at the sides of the carrier, and means extending through the holder and threadedly engaging with the said socket for connecting said holder and head together.

6. In a wire feed mechanism of that type including a pair of revoluble feed roll structures coacting to intermittently feed successive lengths of 'wire to be acted upon, the combination of a revoluble shaft having its forward end provided with a circular head formed of an inner part and an outer part, said outer part being of less diameter than and disposed in concentric relation with respect to said inner part, said head being formed axially thereof with a threaded socket opening at the front of said outer part, said inner part having its front formed with an annular roove surrounding the base of the outer part, a rectangular carrier formed with an opening intermediate its ends and a gripper at one end, said carrier encompassing in spaced relation said outer part, a tensioning ringrof split-like form seated in said groove, part in spaced relation and bearing against the wall of said opening, a holder positioned against the front of said outer part and formed with spaced retainers positioned at the side of the carrier, and means extending through the holder and threadedly engaging with the said socket for connecting said holder and head together, said carrier being of greater length than the diameter a of the head and holder.

7. In a wire feed mechanism of that type including a pair of revoluble feed roll structures coacting to intermittently feed successive lengths of wire to be acted upon, the combination of a revoluble shaft provided intermediate its ends with a laterally extended flange, a smooth part forwardly of the flange and a reduced peripherally threaded part forwardly of said smooth part, an axially apertured adjustable carrier revolubly mounted on said smooth part against said flange and formed with a groove opening at its encompassing said outer outer edge, a gripper positioned in said groove, fixed to said carrier and extended from the latter, and means mounted on said threaded part and coacting with said flange for clamping said carrier to the shaft to provide for the carrier bodily revolving with the shaft.

8. In a wire feed mechanism, a portable onepiece support having a recess in its front face formed with side walls, top and bottom walls and a rear wall, a pair of revoluble shafts journaled in said rear wall and having their outer end parts arranged in said recess, and spaced sidewise aligned wire feed roll structures arranged in said recess and bodily carried with the said parts of said shafts, each of said structures including a wire gripper of arcuate form disposed in outwardly extended relation with respect to the outer periphery thereof and of a length less than the outer circumference of the structure, one of said grippers being spring urged and slidingly mounted in that roll structure of which it forms a part of, said grippers coacting for intermittently feeding successive lengths of wire.

9. In a wire feed mechanism, a portable one.- piece support having a recess in its front face formed with side walls, top and bottom walls and a rear wall, a pair of'revoluble shafts journaled in said rear wall and having their outer end parts arranged in said recess, and spaced sidewise aligned wire feed roll structures arranged in said recess and bodily carried with the said parts of said shafts, each of said structures including a wire gripper of arcuate form disposed in outwardly extended relation with respect to the outer periphery thereof and of a length less than the outer circumference of the structure, saidgrippers coacting for intermittently feeding successive lengths of wire, one of said grippers capable of being adjusted in a circumferential direction with respect to the structure of which it forms a part for varying the period of the eoaction between the grippers, the other of said grippers being spring urged and slidingly mounted in that roll structure of which it forms a part of.

10. In a wire feed mechanism, a pair of oppositely revoluble wire feed roll structures, one of said structures including a tensioned carrier slidingly mounted therein diametrically thereof, said carrier having one of its ends being so formed to provide a wire gripper disposed in circumferential relation with respect to the structure which the carrier forms a part of, the other of said structures including a non-tensioned, non-slidable, adjustable carrier having fixed therein and extended therefrom a wire gripper disposed in circumferential relation with respect to that structure of which the adjustable carrier forms a part of, said grippers being disposed in extended rela tion with respect to the outer periphery of the roll structures for eoaction to intermittently feed during the revolving of the structures, successive lengths of wire to be acted upon.

ARNOLD F. FISCHER. 

